HerpessimplexisanenvelopedDNAvirus(150-200nmindiameter)belongingtothealpha-herpesviridae.Basedonantigenic,biochemicalandBIOLOGicallydifferencesitcanbedividedintotwoSEROtypes,HSV-1andHSV-2.Manistheonlyknownnaturalhostandsourceofthevirus.HSVType1typicallycausesoralherpes,whileHSV-type2typicallyaffectsthegenitalarea.Mostofthetime,HSV-1andHSV-2areinactive,or“silent”,andcausenosymptoms,butsomeinfectedpeoplehave“outbreaks”ofblistersandulcers.OnceinfectedwithHSV,peopleremaininfectedforlife.Herpessimplexvirusesareamongstthemostcommoninfectiousagentsofman,andeitherHSVtypeappearstobecapableofinfectingsimilarbodysites.Ahighpercentageoftheadultpopulationisseropositive(appr.90%HSV-1,independenceonthesocio-economicstatus10-30%HSV-2).PrimaryHSV-1infectionusuallyoccursinearlychildhood(6to18monthsofage).HSV-2usuallyproducesmildsymptoms,andmostpeoplehavenorecognizedsymptoms.PersonsatriskarechildrenwithinheritedT-celldeficienciesandpatientswhoareimmunosuppressedbecauseofinfection(e.g.HIV),transplantation,orcancertherapy.Thepresenceofvirusresp.infectionmaybeidentifiedby

• Microscopy:CPE,IF
• PCR
• Serology:DetectionofantibodiesbyELISA